Best products from r/NASCAR

I'm a huge NASCAR fan.

If you don't know who your recipient's favorite driver is, I would say anything you can get that illustrates the history of the sport...the roots, the early days, the modern era, the tracks and drivers past and present, old stories, etc, would be greatly appreciated.

I've seen this book in stores and have been meaning to pick it up:

http://www.amazon.com/He-Crashed-Him-Back-Earnhardt/dp/0316034029/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1289921134&sr=1-2

It's a little more than $10, but it seems like an interesting read.

I'm sure whatever you decide on though your recipient will love - NASCAR fans are nice like that.

Good luck!

Check out these books for in-depth stuff

I personally like Carroll Smith's books and Four Stroke Performance Tuning. While FSPT is very good, it is very difficult to read. Carroll Smith's "_____ to win" books are very good places to start, and are easier to read.

Tuning knowledge is definitely something that is improved on over time. After building fundamentals in tuning particular systems, you'll see opportunities for the car to be better, and then you do research on which setting would be better than another. Racing sims are very good for seeing the effects of suspension tuning, which is where I started. For console, obviously Forza and GT6 are worth looking at. With no console, check out iRacing, Live for Speed (demo has free multiplayer), and Assetto Corsa.

So I bought a PC for my birthday back in January. Mine was custom built instead of buying a prebuilt model. I already owned a Logitech G920 wheel/pedals (I recommend for you btw, bought for $200 and quality piece by comparison). And I bought the playseat challenge sim chair off amazon as well which cost me $250. Iracing itself has multiple offers for beginners signing up to receive a free months worth of the service to try it out. I went with a 50% off 1 year subscription which cost me around $70-$80. Once you have the software downloaded, that’s all you “have” to buy. I have pumped a lot more money in it to race each discipline, with multiple cars and tracks being purchased. However you do not have to do this and many people will tell you not to (my opinion, do whatever you want that makes you happy. There’s no wrong way to approach iracing.) once you’ve downloaded the software you can run the rookie street stocks, and you might even see Dale Jr now, until you get your safety rating up high enough to begin your ascent through the licenses.

I’ve loved the service and have even bought iracing shirts off of their partnered web store.
However it can be expensive off the bat for sure, but through time the costs really diminish, as I haven’t bought content in several months. It may seem like a lot but I honestly can say it offers some of the most fun, and frustrating experiences you can’t find in other sims/games.

If you have any more questions feel free to ask! Also if you sign up shoot me a PM and I can send you my referral code and I believe we both get $10 on iracing credit!

Here are some links to the mentioned products Logitech G920 Dual-Motor Feedback Driving Force Racing Wheel with Responsive Pedals for Xbox One https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Z0UWV98/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_YOWSDb0FBNA15


Playseat Challenge NASCAR Edition Racing Video Game Chair For Nintendo XBOX Playstation CPU Supports Logitech Thrustmaster Fanatec Steering Wheel And Pedal Controllers https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DF1V3HC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_3PWSDb6GP4VWN

Its hard to sum up on what makes it worth watching, the drivers have a lot of personality, the level of competition is very high, and with 43 cars on the track there is always something going on.

The quality of racing is very good if you like a lot of passing (overtaking for the F1 terms). Depending on what track they are at, it can very close quarters racing with very aggressive driving. Lots of strategy involved on any given week.

A couple of books I would recommend are:
http://www.amazon.com/Driving-Devil-Southern-Moonshine-Detroit/dp/1400082269/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1309974163&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Cheating-Inside-Things-Winston-Pursuit/dp/1893618226/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1309974122&sr=8-1

Why do I love NASCAR?
Again its kinda hard to answer. Like all the things I've mentioned before and also the access viewers can get. A lot of drivers are on Twitter which gives you insight into their day to day lives you don't normally see. You can get complete access to radio feeds of the teams during races.

What caused me to become hooked?
Probably just growing up watching it with my Dad mostly but what really hooked me was going to see a race live and sitting in the stands watching it first hand. Just like with F1, its a life style or its own culture. If you ever get the chance I highly recommend going to a race.

iRacing is great, but before you jump in some things to know. A steering wheel such as the driving force GT (best value for a wheel) is 100% essential. I have linked below.

The service is subscription and micro-transactions based. Its literally the worst of both worlds, and everything is expensive. They charge you to host a race, its insane.

However, the racing is generally very clean. Splits break you into skill groups that provide good racing, and their are enough fixed set-up classes that you can race without learning how to be a crew chief.

The most important thing is that Iracing is super fun. Before my first few races, I was nervous as shit. You don't want to ruin anyone elses race by driving recklessly.

To me, the trucks were the most fun I don't feel like I really had the skill to race the cup car competitively.

http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-PlayStation-Driving-Force-Racing-3/dp/B0015HYPOO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407193928&sr=8-1&keywords=logitech+driving+force+gt+ps3

Documentaries:
For a basic introduction, try "NASCAR: The Imax Experience". It's $5 on Amazon, and it's also on Netflix.

ESPN had a 5-part series on DVD called "Ultimate NASCAR". It's available on Netflix (and Amazon for $9 each)

A good historical one would be "The Ride of Their Lives". Netflix & Amazon too.

Books:
"American Zoom" by Peter Golenbock, 1994
"He Crashed Me So I Crashed Him Back" by Mark Bechtel, about the 1979 season
"Nascar: The Complete History" by Greg Fielden, 2008

And a personal favorite, "Cale" by Cale Yarborough & William Neely. It's out of print, but it's on Amazon used for around $4.

My favorite quote from the book pretty much sums up NASCAR: "Driving a stock car is like ballroom dancing with a chainsaw" -- Cale Yarborough

Lets assume youre coming over from console and having nothing for PC gaming, basically absolute worst situation for someone looking to switch:

First, Iracing itself. Its a subscription service, and if you get the yearly one, its about $110/year, but theres a sale for new members, and just to be nice we will use it here, so its down to $66.

Next, you need a way to drive in Iracing. While Iracing says that gamepads are supported, if youre going to take it at all seriously youre going to need a wheel, and lets assume you get a wheel. The Thrustmaster T80 is the "cheapest" (searching could yield a cheaper one) wheel i could find that was listed on Iracing's Wheels and controllers page at $89.

now you have all this gear, but nothing to run it on, so you need to build a PC. Im going to be a little lazy here and steal the cheap build from this reddit post. The price is a solid year out of date and with the release of 3rd gen Ryzen and 20xx and 16xx cards, you could probably build this for a bit cheaper, but for now we will say its $647.

For all of this alone, someone has spent roughly $800 before even starting to play the game, get a desk for everything, monitor(s), keyboard, mouse, etc. For all of that, they only get:

• 5 NASCAR Cup series sanctioned tracks (six if you include roval)
  
• 5 NASCAR's from all 3 series, none of which are current generation
  
  Everything not included is an added cost per item, and this ignores the subscription cost per year (which goes back to that $110/year, so at year 2 you're $900 down now.) For someone looking for casual play with friends, Iracing is not for any casual fan, even if the experience you get is absolutely amazing.

Hello! Here's a book that is fantastic, and it's cheap!

http://www.amazon.com/Driving-Devil-Southern-Moonshine-Detroit/dp/1400082269/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1289933281&sr=1-4

It's a great history of NASCAR. Hope this helps!

This book Driving With the Devil gives a pretty accurate representation of how NASCAR got it's start and has some great stories. I highly recommend it!

Buy this.
BaoFeng UV-5R Dual Band Two Way Radio (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007H4VT7A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_6ijlDb6C1FTJD

Then this.
Electop 2.5mm Male to 3.5mm(1/8 inch) Female Stereo Audio Jack Adapter Cable for Headphone https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GC6LR84/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_XjjlDbW1X24P6

Then this.
Mpow 035 Noise Reduction Safety Ear Muffs, Shooters Hearing Protection Ear Muffs, Adjustable Shooting Ear Muffs, NRR 28dB Ear Defenders for Shooting Hunting Season, with a Carrying Bag- Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L1U9L5W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_tkjlDbTJP2Q4C

And use a pair of nice in ear headphones.


Budget and works great.

Chiming in on your post a little late. Glad to see your specs surpass the requirements! I have an older steering wheel that I've been using since 2008. It's a logitech ps3 steering wheel with pedals and force feedback. Works like a charm after all these years. I think it came out with the GT5 game. So when looking for steering wheel/pedal combos don't feel like you need to get the most new and expensive set out there. Older generations will work. Here's a link to amazon on what mine is like.
https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-PlayStation-Driving-Force-Racing-3/dp/B0015HYPOO

Dang, used to live in Tucson and was unaware of the proximity. Lot of great cars in there. The Porsche LMP2 is particularly special, as it outshone and beat the diesel Audi R10 LMP1 juggernaut at Sebring that year, and was competitive against the faster class all throughout the schedule. Legendary times in the ALMS.

Some reading suggestions:

The Unfair Advantage - Mark Donohue's pseudo-autobiography cataloguing his and Roger Penske's continual development of the cars they raced in the 1960s and 1970s, a true golden era for gains in automotive racing technology and performance.

Beast - the story of Penske's secret Ilmor-Mercedes engine project that once again gained the unfair advantage and lead to victory at Indy in 1994.

I strongly suggest you find your engineering school librarian and ask them to show you some of the databases on hand at your school. You'll find everything you need there, plus a few extra rabbit holes to go down. Here's a good title for other interested readers https://www.amazon.com/Physics-Nascar-Science-Behind-Speed/dp/0452290228

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby easily one of my favorite movies EVER. Infinitely quotable.

The Physics of NASCAR is a must-read. I'll add that I am a liberal arts major who barely passed high school algebra, but this book made physics understandable. I feel like I have a better grasp of the sport after reading this very approachable book.

Bought these for the races this year, worked perfectly. We only had to keep the scanner volume 1/3-1/2 way up.

Koss QZ-99 Noise Reduction Stereophone https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000051SD1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_.keDyb0J57M5R

Bought this scanner with a 2.5 to 3.5 mm adapter and the set worked perfectly for my wife and me.

Two Way Radio,Baofeng Walkie Talkie UV-5R5 5W Dual-Band Two-Way Ham Radio Transceiver UHF/VHF 136-174/400-520MHz,65-108MHz FM with Upgraded Earpiece,Built-in VOX Function,Battery,Charger - Red https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00YMN42ZU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_gpeDyb0A89WH8

Total set up cost only a couple bucks more than renting one for the race. Now we have them for any other race!

This headset has been linked in the past as a cheap alternative with integrated volume control. I have no personal experience but some reviews indicate that they were fine at Bristol.

EDIT: Sorry misinterpreted your post as you seem to be looking for an all in one type of headset. I would imagine any well reviewed noise reduction headphones with AM/FM radio tuner would be fine. The Koss headphones I linked would allow for some more flexibility in case you wanted to purchase your own radio scanner in the future (such as the Uniden Bearcats), but could be plugged into a standard AM/FM tuner as well.

• Real NASCAR By Daniel S. Pierce - My go-to NASCAR history book; he covers a lot of the sport's business dealings and gets further into some more recent eras (late 80's/early 90s) than some other "History of NASCAR" books.
  
  
• Driving With the Devil by Neil Thompson - The top of my hypothetical NASCAR 101 reading list. If you want the literal dirt on the sport's formation and NASCAR's organization, this book covers it. Thompson takes care to feature a lot of the big stock car racing players outside of the France family, which is incredibly eye-opening.
  
  
• He Crashed Me So I Crashed Him Back by Mark Bechtel - With the best title out of any NASCAR book, this one just gets deep into the 1979 season, which only got crazier after the groundbreaking national broadcast of the '79 500.
  
  
• NASCAR Generations by Robert Edelstein - Has a lot of firsthand accounts on almost all the famous NASCAR families.

Borrow or rent a headset. Your ears will thank you and it makes it a heck of a lot easier to keep dibs on what is happening. Plus you can tune in to your favorite driver and listen to the chatter. If the he scanner is too much, I have a pair of these http://www.amazon.com/Howard-Leight-1030110-Blocking-Earmuff/dp/B004U4A5RU and use a small portable radio to tune into the FM broadcast.

If you want to learn about the engineering/mechanical side of it, I highly recommend The Physics of NASCAR. I've been watching for 20 years or so and just recently read it and still learned a ton. You'll come across all of the terms you hear them talk about during the broadcast. The book reads almost like a high school text book so you can bounce around and hit things you are really interested in or know nothing about. I've picked it up and flipped to different chapters during a race to refresh my memory.

https://www.amazon.com/Physics-Nascar-Science-Behind-Speed/dp/0452290228

This is exactly what I used for a long time. The only hiccup is that Baofeng can be complicated to program if you're not used to ham radios or scanners.

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Now I use a Uniden Bearcat125AT. I like it because it's easy to program either manually or via your computer, it has alpha tags and there's a weather (WRX) pre-programmed that is always useful to have when the gray clouds are looming.

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https://www.amazon.com/Uniden-BC125AT-Alpha-Tagged-Emergency-Lightweight/dp/B00772MR0K/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3DGMTQC0YES0L&keywords=uniden+bearcat+scanner&qid=1563205158&s=gateway&sprefix=uniden+bearcat%2Caps%2C128&sr=8-3

Buy a scanner on Amazon and bring headphones. The Racing Radios kiosks have handouts on frequencies, or you can commonly find them online.

This is the one I took to Talladega last year and it worked great.

http://www.amazon.com/Uniden-Bearcat-Channel-Numeric-BC125AT/dp/B00772MR0K/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1457803937&sr=8-2&keywords=bearcat+scanner

I bought these. Work great.

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https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000051SD1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I use these and love them.

Koss QZ-99 Noise Reduction Stereophone

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000051SD1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_nWllDbFPXV3KC

They are very much not... I paid about $280 at Best Buy for my G29 without shifter. If you pay $400, you got taken. Also, the G29 is the Playstation version, the G920 is the XBox version, though they're basically the same thing.

Edit:
https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Dual-Motor-Feedback-Responsive-Playstation/dp/B00Z0UWV98/ref=asc_df_B00Z0UWWYC/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309777372381&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=18349875411578150950&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9007574&hvtargid=pla-365069382613&th=1

https://www.newegg.com/black-logitech-g29-wheel/p/N82E16826197073

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Logitech-G29-Driving-Force-Racing-Wheel-for-Playstation-3-and-Playstation-4/47510676?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=4682&adid=22222222227035163756&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=75560939194&wl4=pla-175603906114&wl5=9007574&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=113548276&wl11=online&wl12=47510676&veh=sem&gclid=CjwKCAjw4NrpBRBsEiwAUcLcDJGsXEMxjKlYFPBtLSTNQXKReNWE2hp8op_GERPxt176ceuR_d9xEhoCJ2kQAvD_BwE

You bet it did. This book covers it in detail, it's a great read: http://www.amazon.com/Driving-Devil-Southern-Moonshine-Detroit/dp/1400082269/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411564972&sr=8-1&keywords=racing+with+the+devil

Real NASCAR by Daniel Pierce.
As a history major I like this book because it is one of the few books that deals with the history of NASCAR that is actually written by a professional historian. Pierce mainly analyses the founding of NASCAR as an organization and its following growth.

Link

Salt tabs will help there if you just need water and electrolytes without any carbs. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074N7KTJK/ I run & bike long distance and use these to supplement gels to make sure I'm maintaining my electrolytes while pounding the water.

This is what iRacing recommends for entry level. It's basically the same wheel I have (Logitech MOMO) except the GT has more buttons.

http://amzn.com/B0015HYPOO

The Physics of NASCAR is her book on the subject that she wrote before starting the blog. It's as good as any place to start.

That book got me hooked on the engineering and science behind racing. My favorite bit is about the shift to the COT and the crash testing they did.

Edit: Fixed link.

I bought one of These last year for camping and used it recently at a race. It was better than the fanvision scanner we normaly use. Just have to set it to not transmit, which isn't that hard.

Going to Arizona next week? Join me in black flagging Bubba! I've already ordered mine!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07X449P35

I'm already nearly deaf in my right ear, I don't want to lose what I have left. People who ignore hearing protection warnings really need to reconsider going to a race at all.

I mean come on, ear plugs are like 35 cents. There's no excuse for not using them, unless you dropped them somewhere or something.

And here's some ear muffs. Nice, cheap, effective. Not really any reason to not try to protect your hearing.

That's pretty much it. There's a book on cheating in NASCAR that anyone interested may want to look for.

https://www.amazon.com/Cheating-Inside-Things-Winston-Pursuit/dp/1893618226/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1520370228&sr=1-2&keywords=cheating+nascar

There is a Kindle version that's been updated if you have something against physical media.

There's one that's not on your list I can recommend!

http://www.amazon.com/Cheating-Inside-Things-Winston-Pursuit/dp/1893618226

My brother got it for me for christmas a few years ago and I've read it a couple of times since. It's all about the ways NASCAR teams bend the rules. The stories from the old days are hilarious.

My favorite is about when there were limits on the size of the gas tank, but no limits on the size/length of the fuel line. One team figured this out and used a 2" diameter hose that went around the entire inside of the car three times. It let the guy go nearly twice as long before refueling.

During inspection they removed the fuel tank to measure it and after the car passed inspection, the car drove away before they put it back in!

The rule, of course, changed the next race.

They're cheap

Non-mobile: Four Stroke Performance Tuning

^That's ^why ^I'm ^here, ^I ^don't ^judge ^you. ^PM ^/u/xl0 ^if ^I'm ^causing ^any ^trouble. ^WUT?

any thoughts on this one? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007H4VT7A/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Koss QZ-99 Noise Reduction Stereophone https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000051SD1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_eSJwCbKKDPT0H

Driving with the Devil is by Neal Thompson

I was also going to recommend it.

I can't say that this is a great book, but it will show you the roots of NASCAR and it goes through all the ways teams have cheated or skirted the rules in NASCAR history. It is really dumbed down so I think even a newcomer can find it interesting.